Connection to Country – For Our Country by Edition Office and Daniel Boyd

Situated at the Australian War Memorial, For our Country is dedicated to commemorating the sacrifice of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders in war. Artist Daniel Boyd, a Kudjala/Gangalu/Kuku Yalanji/Waka Waka/Gubbi Gubbi/Wangerriburra/Bandjalung man from North Queensland, and Melbourne architects Edition Office have created a space that aims to facilitate reflection, cultural sharing and understanding.

Located on Ngunnawal Country, Our Country is the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander War Memorial. Conceived from a place of connection, the deeply emotive materiality and formality reinforces its importance and the need of a permanent reminder of the sacrifice made by Indigenous Australians. The memorial to honour the memory of those women and men who served to protect their country was designed by Edition Office in collaboration with artist Daniel Boyd and was commissioned by the Australian War Memorial.

Conceived from a place of connection, the deeply emotive materiality and formality reinforces its importance and the need of a permanent reminder of the sacrifice made by Indigenous Australians.

These offerings signal and commemorate many lands being brought together. The outer shell of the memorial sees a curved basalt stone wall create the gathering space with a two-way mirror glass veil opposite to capture the landscape.

A multi-purpose space, For our Country is both a memorial and a place for storytelling and sharing that creates opportunities for understanding to be cultivated. The design is grounded in connection to country, with the memorial’s comprising elements all speaking to traditions and interaction with the land. Sitting at the centre is a cast bronze plate and the mouth of a sealed earth vessel to facilitate ceremonial fires and offerings of earth brought by elders of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations. These offerings signal and commemorate many lands being brought together. The outer shell of the memorial sees a curved basalt stone wall create the gathering space with a two-way mirror glass veil opposite to capture the landscape. The interplay with surrounding natural elements creates pattern through shadow and reflectivity.

The reflective element allows the viewer to imagine themselves in another time and place, while also being reminded of their place in the present. These conjured reminders and emotions act as a conduit through empathy to contemplate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s sacrifice and experiences of war, suffering and conflict. Behind this interactive and dynamic veil sits a curved rammed earth wall, coloured with a black pigment as a nod to the ash offerings from the ceremonial fire. Carved within the wall is a resting place, where contemplation is encouraged over the stone fields to the eastern face. Made from fractured Basalt shards, the field stands as a reminder of the material that has been used by Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island people for over 60,000 years in the creation of weapons and tools for hunting and defending country.

For our Country movingly creates a connection between those who visit the memorial and the country it sits upon and offers a deeply reflective and important symbol of the sacrifice. As a place to ensure memories of the past endure, it is also about a shared responsibility to future generations.

Made from fractured Basalt shards, the field stands as a reminder of the material that has been used by Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island people for over 60,000 years in the creation of weapons and tools for hunting and defending country.